A new opportunity for church growth: will we miss it?http://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2015/02/a-new-opportunity-for-church-growth-will-we-miss-it.html
There’s more proof out this week that North American culture continues to shift, transforming both church and society. Specifically, several recent studies reveal how multiculturalism is shaping Christian community, and also being ignored by it. Take Britain for example. Christianity...<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d0df37d5970c-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, &#39;_blank&#39;, &#39;width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0&#39; ); return false" style="float: right;"><img alt="Il_340x270.666709010_qhds 2" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d0df37d5970c img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d0df37d5970c-200wi" style="width: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; border: 5px solid #FFFFFF;" title="Il_340x270.666709010_qhds 2" /></a>There’s more proof out this week that North American culture continues to shift, transforming both church and society. Specifically, several recent studies reveal how multiculturalism is shaping Christian community, and also being ignored by it.</p>
<p>Take Britain for example. Christianity has been in decline there for decades, as is evidenced in dwindling church attendance. The phenomena is well documented and often interpreted as a foreshadow of America’s own future. Indeed, a <a href="http://news.fresno.edu/10/26/2012/declining-church-spiritual-culture" target="_blank" title="research study">Pew study</a> from 2012 reveals that, for the first time in our country’s history, Protestantism is no longer the majority faith tradition and, conversely, there has been a steady rise in the “unaffiliated” (those who don’t identify with any organized religion).</p>
<p>Back to Britain. Though there have been catastrophic losses for the Church of England, the trend seems to be reversing, but not in a way that anyone could have predicted. A <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/erasmus/2015/02/britain-london-and-christianity" target="_blank" title="London survey of church attendance">survey of London</a> has revealed a significant increase in church participation between 2005, when average weekly attendance was 620,000, and 2013, when it had risen to 720,000. That is an astounding growth of 17 percent!</p>
<p>What could be happening here? Are the church growth strategies inherited from the ‘80s finally paying off? Have Anglicans been working overtime to attract more parishioners? Have evangelicals been creatively proselytizing?</p>
<p>The recent increase doesn’t seem to be the result of any innovative growth strategy. In fact, <a href="http://www.christiantoday.com/article/fresh.expressions.of.church.wont.halt.decline.research.says/47569.htm" target="_blank" title="Fresh Expressions data">data shows</a> that the “Fresh Expressions” campaign, initiated a decade ago to revitalize the Church of England (and now popular in the U.S.), hasn’t curbed the decline in attendance. It appears that pouring resources into new forms of evangelism and progressive church plants hasn’t been any more effective than traditional church structures. There are actually fewer self-described Christians in London now than ever before.</p>
<p>No, the rise of church attendance in London isn’t due to a strategic initiative carefully crafted by the established church, but rather, it has come through a surprising means – immigration. As London has grown into a global city, it has also become the home to Christians from all over the world, including Filipino Catholics, Brazilian Pentecostals, Caribbean evangelicals, African charismatics and more. With 40 percent of the city&#39;s population born outside of Britain, Sunday morning worship can be found in many different languages, representing a host of ethnic groups.</p>
<p>The conclusion is startling – church attendance in London is on the uprise because Christians from all over the globe are settling there and establishing strong, committed worship gatherings.</p>
<p>And don’t forget: what happens in Britain is a sign of our own future in America.</p>
<p>But are American churchgoers ready for the influx of other global Christians and their unique forms of worship?</p>
<p>The <a href="http://ava.publicreligion.org/highlights" target="_blank" title="American Values Atlas">American Values Atlas</a> (AVA) released new data this week revealing the attitudes of Christians in the U.S. by affiliation. The study asked 50,000 Americans about their perception of immigration. Overall, 55 percent of respondents said that immigrants “strengthen” the country, and 36 percent reported that they create a “burden,” signaling that a majority of Americans view immigration positively. But a big revelation came when the AVA disaggregated the data by religious affiliation. Though the vast majority of Americans see the issue favorably, there was one religious group shown to think negatively of immigration. Only one.</p>
<p>White evangelicals reported the exact opposite of the national average, with 56 percent responding that immigrants are a “burden” and 36 percent indicating “strengthen.” Every other religious affiliation was more favorable than not toward immigrants.</p>
<p>Additionally, one other finding of the AVA is relevant here. In line with national trends, evangelicalism is becoming less white. While 66 percent of all evangelicals are non-Hispanic whites, only 52 percent of those under 30 are. In just a few years, there will not be any majority ethnic religious group in the U.S.</p>
<p>My friend and colleague, Dr. Darren Duerksen, teaches in intercultural studies at Fresno Pacific University and agrees with the recent findings:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>It’s an amazing reality that has also come to the U.S. A friend of mine in New Jersey says that churches in his area would completely be on the decline except for immigrant congregations. And churches like the Nigerian Redeemed Christian Church of God in North America don&#39;t want to remain an &quot;immigrant church.&quot; They have a strong vision for reaching out to the communities around them and becoming multiethnic churches. Many incredible lessons here...</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>There are, indeed, many lessons to be learned from the globalization of Christianity in the West. I can think of several.</p>
<ol>
<li>North America continues on a trend toward multiculturalism and the U.S. will look less and less white in the coming years.</li>
<li>Generally a favorable issue, a majority of Americans think immigrants will help strengthen our society.</li>
<li>The only religiously-affiliated group that looks at immigration negatively is white evangelicals, who are driven politically and theologically to oppose reform, even though they only make up 18 percent of the total population.</li>
<li>Growth in church attendance and commitment will likely not come through existing institutional structures or strategic plans, but by the influx of foreign believers who have very different theology and worship practices than American Christians.</li>
</ol>
<p>One final note of caution seems appropriate. In all of our efforts to counter declining church attendance, it’s possible that we will unknowingly miss the work that God wants to do in us through the arrival of immigrant churches. American Christians have long prayed for revitalization. Nearly every denomination is investing huge amounts of money and resources to plant churches. Amazingly, the very thing we’ve been praying for may now be on our doorstep.</p>
<p>I pray, as a white evangelical, that we won’t miss the movement of God – or worse yet, stand in opposition to it. No doubt, we will be uncomfortable with new colors, smells, traditions and foods, but a fresh movement of Spirit always comes with disruption.</p>
<p>Get ready to be disrupted.</p>Church & CultureMissional ChurchTim2015-02-27T13:52:07-08:00What's more shocking? Torture or love?http://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2014/12/whats-more-shocking-torture-or-love.html
In an interview this weekend regarding the CIA torture report released on December 9, when queried about the report and the treatment of an alleged terrorist, former vice president Dick Cheney facetiously asked, “What are we supposed to do? Kiss...<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07c451ad970d-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, &#39;_blank&#39;, &#39;width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0&#39; ); return false" style="float: right;"><img alt="Cartoon-PeaceOnEarthSomeAssemblyRequired" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07c451ad970d img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07c451ad970d-250wi" style="width: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; border: 5px solid #FFFFFF;" title="Cartoon-PeaceOnEarthSomeAssemblyRequired" /></a>In an <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/vice-president-dick-cheney-cia-torture-report-full/story?id=27513355" target="_blank" title="Dick Cheney on This Week">interview</a>&#0160;this weekend regarding the CIA torture report released on December 9, when queried about the report and the treatment of an alleged terrorist, former vice president Dick Cheney facetiously asked, “What are we supposed to do? Kiss him on both cheeks?&quot;</p>
<p>That kind of response doesn’t surprise me, but it does give me cause as a Christian to stop and think deeper about a few issues.</p>
<ol>
<li>I am not shocked by people who think that torture is a legitimate means of protecting our country. I’m never surprised when those who are not followers of Christ do not have the same values as me, though I am saddened, especially when those who do claim to follow Christ choose violent means to coerce others. Violence is often the first instinct of self-preservation, so acting in a way that promotes peace can look very subversive and countercultural, and it certainly can be interpreted as anti-patriotic.</li>
<li>I have nontraditional values which at times seem to conflict with American values due to my faith tradition. My people were hunted, persecuted and tortured during the Reformation, because they, in part, wouldn’t take up arms against the Turks who were attacking the state and the church. These Anabaptists held adult voluntary confession of faith and love of enemies as key precepts. Their position was a result of their evangelistic fervor: they would rather stand in opposition to so-called &quot;Christians&quot; who used violence than take the lives of those who truly were not Christian. My tradition considers discipleship and the imitation of Jesus’ life very seriously, particularly those teachings found in The Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7). In some things, I fit a little more closely and in harmony with Christ. Loving my enemy is one of his practices and commands that I try to emulate. On other issues, I no doubt fall very short.</li>
<li>The irony of Cheney&#39;s “kiss him on both cheeks” question is that Jesus prescribed almost that exact scenario. In his day, his tribe, the Jews, were oppressed by an occupying Roman force that often treated them harshly and unjustly. It’s in that context that Jesus told his followers to turn the other cheek, offer up their extra coat and walk a second mile. “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus also said that it’s not much good to simply love those who love you. The real test of character--and the real force for change--comes in loving those who won’t return the love.</li>
<li>The Jesus-story is startling if considered in the current debate on torture. Jesus himself was tortured, brutalized and killed as a terrorist of the state. Through it all he maintained a standard of peace and asked his followers to do the same. In this way, the world would know the light, witness and foretaste of his kingdom, one that isn’t located in a territory or nation-state like Caesar’s.</li>
</ol>
<p>The baby of Christmas was illegitimate, undocumented and born into a world of poverty and political violence. His life was a display of selflessness and care for others, even those who tormented him. If his life is something more than an abstract ideal (i.e. that’s the way Jesus lived but we don’t have to), then I have to take seriously his way of peace and believe that it can be a way for the 21st century as well. And that&#39;s probably the most shocking practice of all.</p>Church & CultureTim2014-12-14T17:11:35-08:00Interstellar: father, son and ghosthttp://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2014/11/interstellar-father-son-and-ghost.html
About halfway through Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, I thought I’d made a mistake. I glanced anxiously at my 12- and 15-year-old boys and worried that this three-hour story was too complex and plodding for these Harry Potter aficionados. They probably wanted...<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d09d2a86970c-popup" onclick="window.open( this.href, &#39;_blank&#39;, &#39;width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0&#39; ); return false" style="float: right;"><img alt="Interstellar with family" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d09d2a86970c img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b8d09d2a86970c-200wi" style="width: 200px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; border: 5px solid #FFFFFF;" title="Interstellar with family" /></a>About halfway through Christopher Nolan’s <em>Interstellar</em>, I thought I’d made a mistake. I glanced anxiously at my 12- and 15-year-old boys and worried that this three-hour story was too complex and plodding for these Harry Potter aficionados. They probably wanted mythic heroes, hangers full of advanced artillery and battles with menacing aliens. We got none of that in this saga. Our experience was much more subtle—and meaningful.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePbKGoIGAXY" target="_blank" title="Youtube trailer, Interstellar"><em>Interstellar</em></a>, exploration is as much about the journey of humanity as it is of space. And more to the point, it’s about one family’s experience against the backdrop of an entire planet full of families, clans and tribes. Set in the near future, Cooper, a rural farmer and single father of two teens, struggles to find his place in a world that no longer values his engineering and piloting skills. NASA, his former employer, has been driven deep underground and now functions as a covert government operation. The historical metanarrative is unmistakable: modern certainty (science will save us) gives way to postmodern skepticism (question everything because nothing is working as predicted), which leads to neo-medieval superstition (the Apollo program was a myth and farming is all that’s needed now), to something that transcends human history in a place that breaks the natural laws we hold so dearly (the black hole).</p>
<p>This narrative brings with it an inherent tension between science and faith. That’s not a new cinematic theme. Kubrick’s <em>2001: A Space Odyssey</em>, Sagan’s <em>Contact</em> and the Wachowskis’ <em>Cloud Atlas</em> all take us to an unknown destination beyond the stars, launching us into the void of uncertainty. M. Night Shyamalan tends to do the same in nearly all of his movies, but with plots firmly rooted on Earth. In these films, science, though foundational to our existence, is neither capable of predicting the future or of bringing meaning to life.</p>
<p>Back to <em>Interstellar</em>. Cooper’s relationship with his daughter, Murphy, provides the tension required to address such transcendent themes. One of the core dialogues in the movie comes as Cooper hugs his crying girl, unsuccessfully convincing her of the importance of his upcoming journey.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>You have to talk to me Murph. I need to fix this before I go. After you kids came along, your mom, she said something to me I never quite understood. She said, ‘Now we’re just here to be memories for our kids.’ I think I now understand what she meant. Once you’re a parent, you’re the ghost of your children’s future.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>This statement plays itself out as the film develops in ways that aren&#39;t immediately identifiable, but we are given hints. Both while her father is present and then after he is gone, Murphy must summon all her intellectual abilities to solve a very looming technical problem: how to relocate a sample of humanity off of the dying planet. Frustrated at every point, she slowly learns that someone or something has been giving her clues along the way. As she opens herself to realms of the mystic and unquantifiable, she sees the signs in falling dust, mechanical objects and, my favorite, a room full of books—oak shelves full of hard shells of knowledge that point the sojourner in the right direction but never tell the full story.</p>
<p>As father and daughter cross space and time, they interact and influence one other in a way that exceeds theories of quantum entanglement. If electrons that have interacted in the past and then moved apart can affect each other’s nature regardless of the distance that separates them, might not the human spirit be capable of the same, but on a much grander scale?</p>
<p>For the most part, <em>Interstellar</em> does a good job of adhering to current understandings of physics. Nolan necessarily takes some liberties because the essence of space is quite boring. But when the “laws” of nature are bent or broken, characters in the movie are confronted and left questioning their own notions of the cosmos, eventually yielding to a belief in “them” which is also simultaneously a belief in “us” and an acknowledgement of something transcendent and even divine.</p>
<p>Dr. Brand, a young female scientist on the transgalactic expedition, realizes this at a pivotal moment: “Maybe we&#39;ve spent too long trying to figure all this out with theory. Love is the one thing that transcends time and space.” This would be a cheap and clichéd line in most movies, but it comes as a timely gem in <em>Interstellar</em>. This is a conversion experience. This is Love shouted across space and time. This is a recognition of the Divine. This is the Love that spoke and created all things into being in all times and places and stands above all times and places with a chorus of witnesses connecting the Creator to the Creation.</p>
<p>The Gospel of John presents similar themes of mystical connectedness.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.</em></p>
<p><em>I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.</em></p>
<p><em>When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.</em></p>
<p><em>In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.</em></p>
<p><em>I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.</em></p>
</blockquote>
<p>John’s sense of interconnectedness is not something that can be explained by science and technique. This Spirit of in-and-with-and-through has not only come but is continually coming in a way that human eyes can’t see and physics can’t explain. This Ghost—this Holy Ghost—haunts our past, present and future simultaneously and reminds us of a God who stands outside of space and time (which incidentally is why the Incarnation of Jesus is of cosmic importance as God bursts into the physicality of space and time).</p>
<p><em>Interstellar</em> isn&#39;t a movie about space exploration or time travel or conquest of an alien world. On the contrary, we&#39;re not even shown an alien creature. At best, we are only asked to consider the possibility that &quot;they&quot; exist and are somehow benevolently prodding us along like an unseen parent. This movie is, however, a deeply moving story of families and our connection across time to both ancestors and descendants through faith and love. We’re reminded that none of these connections are inconsequential to our combined destiny. Stranger still, these grand yet seemingly distant interactions are not purely human, for in and through these transcendent encounters, Spirit and flesh intersect in a way not bordered by space, time and gravity.</p>
<p>Three hours after we entered the theater, my family hardly knew what to say. I’m sure my boys didn’t understand the full scope of <em>Interstellar</em>’s benediction: “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” But they soon began asking questions, naming issues and identifying with the film’s characters. We’ve already bought the soundtrack and my boys can’t wait for the BluRay.</p>
<p>As one who is father, son and ghost, I think we had an amazing family experience together.</p>Church & CultureTim2014-11-29T13:49:21-08:00"No bling on Jesus!"http://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2014/11/no-bling-on-jesus.html
This last weekend on Saturday Night Live, host Chris Rock demonstrated that he actually has a better theology of Christmas than many Christians. Not without controversy, Rock made fun of Americans’ propensity to commercialize anything and everything, and critiqued our...<p>This last weekend on <a href="http://www.hulu.com/watch/707967" target="_blank" title="SNL with Chris Rock">Saturday Night Live</a>, host Chris Rock demonstrated that he actually has a better theology of Christmas than many Christians. Not without controversy, Rock made fun of Americans’ propensity to commercialize anything and everything, and critiqued our collective degradation of 9/11, MLK and Christmas.</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/xfxqZJi7lus?feature=oembed" width="500"></iframe>&#0160;</p>
<p>“I don’t know Jesus,” Rock said, “but from what I’ve read Jesus is the <em>least</em> materialistic person to ever roam the earth.” “We turned his birthday into the most materialistic day of the year!”</p>
<p>“Matter of fact,” he continues, “we have the Jesus-birthday <em>season</em>. It’s a whole season of materialism. Then at the end of the Jesus-birthday season, we have the nerve to have an economist come on TV and tell you how horrible the Jesus-birthday season was this year!”</p>
<p>That’s not bad! In fact, it’s a lot better than the theology of a Christian subculture that endlessly chants the somewhat empty mantra, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” or the more aggressive, “Keep Christ in Christmas.”</p>
<p>Kirk Cameron seems to be building a whole career on that one these days.</p>
<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://www.savingchristmas.com/" onclick="window.open( this.href, &#39;_blank&#39;, &#39;width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0&#39; ); return false" style="display: inline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Kirk Cameron facebook cover_rev" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07a465f9970d img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07a465f9970d-500wi" style="width: 500px;" title="Kirk Cameron facebook cover_rev" /></a></p>
<p>&#0160;</p>
<p>I like what Rock is doing by calling the upcoming holiday period the “Jesus-birthday season.” This nomenclature reminds me that we really should think differently about the days between Thanksgiving (or is it now Halloween?) and New Year’s. It reminds me that Jesus’ birth was an event that symbolized his whole ministry. Born in a stable/cave, amidst the poverty of shepherds, to an unmarried teen from a secular and indigent land, this homeless baby’s entrance was a model for God’s relationship with humanity.</p>
<p>If we were to properly remember and experience the birth of Jesus in our Christmas Eve church services, we’d probably be quite uncomfortable. The stench of animal dung, the cold of the night air and the bleating and braying of livestock would have us heading out the door for a more sensible church. I wonder if we can really understand Christmas when we never experience it as the jarringly disruptive occasion that it originally was.</p>
<p>Jesus showed up in the most unexpected of places and called his followers to an alternate kingdom in which power, wealth and control were not the primary indicators of status. He still does. The Christ-in-Christmas movement falls far short of this upside-down King, and seems more often concerned with preserving a comfortable, truncated version of Christmas.</p>
<p>I agree with Rock, there’s “no bling on Jesus!”</p>Tim2014-11-02T15:07:52-08:00Ghosts of Lovehttp://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2014/10/ghosts-of-love.html
We’re the ghosts of love / And we haunt this place We’re the ghosts of love / In every face In the ballroom of the crystal light / Everyone’s here with me tonight Everyone but you It’s Halloween, the sacred...<p><em>We’re the ghosts of love / And we haunt this place</em><br /><em>We’re the ghosts of love / In every face</em><br /><em>In the ballroom of the crystal light / Everyone’s here with me tonight</em><br /><em>Everyone but you</em></p>
<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://artevans.co.uk/cloud_of_witness.html" onclick="window.open( this.href, &#39;_blank&#39;, &#39;width=640,height=480,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0&#39; ); return false" style="float: right;" target="_blank"><img alt="Cloud_of_witness_6" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07a3868d970d img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01bb07a3868d970d-200wi" style="width: 175px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; border: 5px solid #FFFFFF;" title="Cloud_of_witness_6" /></a>It’s Halloween, the sacred night when, historically, the dead have been remembered and honored on the eve of All Saints Day. In Medieval times, it was thought that the spirits of the dead wandered the earth. Church bells were rung in honor of departed souls and candles were lit to point the dead to their eternal rest.</p>
<p>Our contemporary culture has been disenchanted—that is, disconnected from any sense of the supernatural as an important part of life. In an age of scientific confidence, there is no room for the superstition of premodern times. As a consequence, our postmodern culture churns out literature, movies and art highlighting vampires, zombies and ghosts at an unprecedented rate, hoping to reconnect with something beyond the physical.</p>
<p>U2’s “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3faDM1lWiHw" target="_blank" title="YouTube">The Crystal Ballroom</a>” is a brilliant gift to a culture on a desperate search for the supernatural. Written in a neo-disco style, with shades of funk, the song transports us to a previous era of swirling lights and shimmering dance floors, color cascading from mirror balls and chandeliers.</p>
<p>But the characters in this ballroom aren’t the evil spirits of horror flicks. These are ghosts of love. These are the phantoms of life itself. We stand amidst the chaos of an unpredictable, sometimes unkind world, and end up “wondering why we’re here.” But the ghosts provide a clue. They remind us that the “human story is what love leaves behind.” The heart bells become our guide. The crystal light points the way.</p>
<p>Bono has been fairly revealing about this song. He told <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/bono-s-dublin-a-long-way-from-where-i-live-1.1927184" target="_blank" title="The Irish Times"><em>The Irish Times</em></a>, “My mother and father used to dance together in the Crystal Ballroom, so that song... is me imagining I’m on the stage of McGonagles with this new band I’m in called U2.... And I look out into the audience and I see my mother and father dancing romantically together to U2 on the stage.” Wow. Honor. Remembrance. Sacred memory.</p>
<p>But this song goes deeper than just a reflection on a mother who died when Bono was 14 and a father who passed a few years ago. Erie and haunting, the Crystal Ballroom is a place for the gathering of souls—all souls. All of those who have come before us. All of those we pay tribute to. Not just a mother and a father, but a brother, a sister, a partner, a child, a mentor, a leader, a friend, a victim, a soldier, a martyr, a savior. When we look into each other’s faces we are reminded of those who are no longer with us. We might also catch a glimpse of the people we once were.</p>
<p>Even greater, the reflection we see isn’t merely human. It’s supernatural. It’s Divine. The <em>Imago Dei</em>—the image of God—seeps down across the millennia through the faces of his creation. “So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them” (Genesis 1:27, NRSV). To Iris and Bob he whispered, “Be fruitful and multiply” (1:28).</p>
<p>We are connected, one to another, and to the Divine. There’s no escaping it. Our job is simply to recognize it, though it turns out that this is not such a simple task. Some never will.</p>
<p><em>Born for bliss, born for this / Every human life begins with a kiss</em><br /><em>Kissed by every kind of possibility / And everyone is here tonight with me</em></p>
<p>Yes, “every kind of possibility.” The specters weave in and out of the dance floor, cheering us on. Unfortunately, we’ve been so ready to believe in the myth of certainty that we’ve mistakenly thought it was we who were leading them in the grand cosmic disco. (Ah, that reminds me of another song about Bono’s mum; I’ll save that for later.) But maybe there’s a larger cast of actors on the stage calling out to us. Is it possible that the ghosts of love don’t need our help, but that they themselves swirl above and around us, providing encouragement for the journey ahead?</p>
<p>“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us...” (Hebrews 12:1, NRSV).</p>
<p>There it is. The Crystal Ballroom—the dance floor of life. And death. And journey. Together. &quot;Our life is shaped by another&#39;s hands.&quot;</p>
<p>Sometimes I’m on the floor. Sometimes I just sit in the balcony and watch. Either way it’s beautiful and divine and much, much more than what we can touch, feel, see and hold.</p>
<p>I&#39;m pretty sure that’s what Tom Tom was thinking in <em>The Million Dollar Hotel</em> (co-written by Bono) as he crossed from this world to the next:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Wow, after I jumped it occurred to me, life is perfect, life is the best. It&#39;s full of magic, beauty, opportunity, and television, and surprises, lots of surprises, yeah. And then there&#39;s that stuff that everybody longs for, but they only real feel when it&#39;s gone. All that just kinda hit me. I guess you don&#39;t really see it all clearly when you&#39;re - ya know - alive.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Here’s to the disco ballroom. Here’s to being alive. Here’s to All Hallows Eve.</p>
<p>&#0160;</p>
<p>Lyrics available at <a href="http://www.atu2.com/lyrics/lyrics.src?VID=221&amp;SID=1246" target="_blank" title="ATU2.com">www.atU2.com</a></p>Tim2014-10-31T22:00:30-07:00Transition and Losshttp://timneufeld.blogs.com/occasio/2014/10/transition-and-loss.html
Many institutions are experiencing high rates of transition these days. This is especially true for churches and Christian nonprofits, including colleges and universities. Fresno Pacific University has not been immune. As I watch the landscape of higher ed, I’m well...<p><a class="asset-img-link" href="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b7c6f13ea7970b-pi" style="float: right;"><img alt="Card4393" class="asset asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341d38a453ef01b7c6f13ea7970b img-responsive" src="http://timneufeld.blogs.com/.a/6a00d8341d38a453ef01b7c6f13ea7970b-250wi" style="width: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; border: 5px #FFFFFF;" title="Card4393" /></a>Many institutions are experiencing high rates of transition these days. This is especially true for churches and Christian nonprofits, including colleges and universities. Fresno Pacific University has not been immune. As I watch the landscape of higher ed, I’m well aware of the structural upheaval at institutions like <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/12/01/controversy-shorter-over-faith-statements" target="_blank" title="Shorter University">Shorter University</a>, <a href="http://www.religionnews.com/2013/12/13/reports-conservative-shakeup-ohio-christian-university-hits-women/" target="_blank" title="Cedarville University">Cedarville University</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=scoopit&amp;rls=com.microsoft:en-US&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8&amp;startIndex=&amp;startPage=1&amp;rlz=&amp;gws_rd=ssl#newwindow=1&amp;safe=off&amp;rls=com.microsoft:en-US&amp;q=bryan+college+controversy" target="_blank" title="Bryan College">Bryan College</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/30/general-theological-seminary_n_5907270.html" target="_blank" title="General Theological Seminary">General Theological Seminary</a>, and <a href="http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/04/baptist-colleges-cant-accept-baptist-theologians/" target="_blank">others</a>.</p>
<p>The chaos is sometimes related to theological shifts. Some institutions have added morality clauses which faculty members are forced to sign. Others have refined belief statements to include positions on creationism or homosexuality. Still others have debated Calvinism with a new vigor.</p>
<p>Unsettling transitions can also be caused by shifts in leaders. There are many styles of leadership, but the default in times of crisis favors heavy management. This is easy to see in churches—when a congregation is threatened by declining attendance, budget shortfalls and deteriorating facilities, people often put their hope in one man with lots of charisma and experience in top-down management. This is comforting for both employees and congregants because it assures people that someone is in control.</p>
<p>Another reason for ongoing chaos is financial instability. Economies are not as neat and predictable as they once were. For many, expansionary efforts are the presumed answer for economic downturns. It’s believed that adding more products will increase attractiveness. In the evangelical church, this is the game—work hard to add more goods and services so that people will be more likely to come (as opposed to attending another church with not quite as good of a selection).</p>
<p>For all of these reasons, and more, many people in Christian churches, agencies and institutions are experiencing great loss. And as mentioned earlier, despite record enrollment (something we’re very grateful for), my institution has not been spared. Through waves of budget reductions, salary cuts, employee terminations, forced resignations and administrative appointments, the loss is very real.</p>
<p>Having said that, here are some things I mourn at FPU.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><em>I mourn the loss</em> of those who have quietly disappeared from our midst. Most notably, former President Pete Menjares and his charming wife, Virginia, have virtually been erased. Dr. Menjares said at his inauguration two years ago, with tears in his eyes, &quot;You honor me. You honor my family. You honor my community.&quot; Unfortunately, his speedy departure has cast a shadow of shame upon him and his people, something that the Hispanic community understands far better than most of us in a majority culture. With no chance for even a “goodbye,” the Menjares’ departure is not so much a reflection on their character as it is on ours. We used to recognize and honor those who left our campus. We’d know their names, celebrate the years they’d been with us and hear stories from their tenure. I’m not sure why, but we don’t do that anymore. Maybe the list is too long.</p>
<p><em>I mourn the loss</em> of discussion and dialogue. I understand the need for expediency in a crisis situation, but I wonder if it isn’t counterproductive in the long run. Quick decisions and streamlined processes give the appearance of action, and certainly offer some needed correctives, but the drawbacks may not be immediately obvious. FPU has been committed to open conversation and has accepted, even encouraged, divergent ideas in the past. We believe that “community expresses itself in patterns of leadership and governance that are servant oriented and participatory and which lead toward consensual decision making.” (FPU Idea) Regrettably, crisis situations have the potential to supersede such core values.</p>
<p><em>I mourn the loss</em> of future departures and colleagues who look elsewhere. A sad reality is that we hear often of peers who move to other institutions. With announcements coming out weekly of those who are retiring early or being laid off, many current employees regularly peruse the online job boards. Requests for letters of reference follow. It’s a bittersweet task to compose a laudatory recommendation for a colleague I don’t want to lose.</p>
<p><em>I mourn the loss</em> of resources that would help students have an amazing academic experience. This is perhaps the hugest loss of all. My colleagues and I care deeply about our students, give them our very best and always want to provide more opportunities and experiences that help them develop into keen scholars and thoughtful practitioners. But financial crises limit that ability. While no student’s academic success is in jeopardy, we are sad when we can’t provide what we would hope to.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Some organizational transitions are good. Some are bad. Some are necessary. I’m not arguing one way or the other in the case of FPU. I’m more concerned with the loss that these transitions bring, and the lack of opportunity to process that loss. FPU is precisely the kind of community where this can and should happen. This is the thing that sets us apart from our local competitors and those institutions listed at the lead of this post. Our Anabaptist center demands it.</p>
<p>One of the tasks at hand, in the chaos, is to name the losses, acknowledge the disruption and take the time to discover underlying causes and issues. Short-circuiting this process might feel comfortable, but it also might not serve the institution well in time.</p>Church & TheologyFresno Pacific U.Tim2014-10-10T15:47:28-07:00